Awakening
by pranksandbooks
Summary: Fred wakes up in St Mungo's after the war to find Hermione by his side. Rated M for later chapters. ON HIATUS: Lacking inspiration for the next couple of chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first multi-chapter Fremione fanfiction. I hope you all enjoy it, I came up with this idea randomly and decided to throw something together so here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I just think they'd be cute together.**

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The war was over. They had won.

Yet, there were many people that lost on the night of the battle just a few days ago. They lost their friends, family, classmates, mentors, loved ones. Some people had lost everything.

But Voldemort was dead. They had won the war, and they were free.

Most people were out celebrating every day, starting at noon and carrying on until the early hours of the morning. Which was fair enough; witches and wizards had been terrified to leave their houses for a good couple of years, but now that Voldemort was dead they could do whatever they pleased.

Hermione had chosen to spend her free time in one of the wards at St Mungo's, clutching onto the hand of a certain tall, ginger-haired Weasley boy.

Fred. The lively prankster had been unconscious since the war after an explosion on the seventh floor nearly killed him. The entire Weasley family was completely shaken up by it – especially George. Hermione couldn't think back to a time where she had ever seen George look so terrified. The way he'd clutched onto his brother's shirt with tears openly spilling down his cheeks as his mother reassured him that his twin was alright broke the hearts of all those who had seen, and it wasn't an image Hermione could simply push out of her mind.

George was still a mess; whenever he came in to visit Fred, he looked like he'd had no sleep the night before. With the shop to run, he couldn't stay with Fred as long as he'd like to, which was quite upsetting for George as he wanted to spend every waking minute by his brother's side. He frequently thanked Hermione for spending so much time with Fred and not leaving him by himself, despite the fact that he wasn't awake.

A few of the Weasley's were surprised about the amount of time Hermione spent with Fred; they knew the two of them had gotten along, but they never expected Hermione to be the one who never left his side. However, Hermione knew she'd felt something for Fred for quite some time, and it was confirmed when she found herself missing Fred the most when the trio were on the hunt for horcruxes.

"Wake up, Fred," Hermione whispered, sighing as she examined him. Scars trailed down his neck to his chest, meeting a large bandage that was covering a deep wound at his ribs. The colour had been drained from his face, he almost looked lifeless. _He's still here,_ Hermione thought to herself as tears started stinging her eyes. Blinking them away, she fixed her gaze on his chest, watching it rise and fall evenly as she ran her thumbs along the back of his hand.

"George misses you a lot," she said quietly, desperately hoping he could hear her. "He wants you to come home, it's not very fun for him being in that flat by himself." She gave his hand a squeeze and sighed. She didn't mind that he wasn't responding and anyone that walked in would think she was crazy, talking to Fred brought her comfort. He had always had that effect on her; whenever something was upsetting her and Fred found her, just a few minutes of talking with him easily calmed her down. The last few days had been no different, even if he wasn't able to respond.

"We won," she said gleefully, a warm smile on her face. "We won the war, Freddie. Voldemort's dead, we're all free!" Fred hadn't been awake for the second half of the war, so he was unaware what had happened. "Your mum killed Bellatrix," she said with a laugh. "You would've been so proud."

Mentioning the war made Hermione remember just how close they had gotten to losing Fred, and it brought tears to her eyes. "I don't know what I would've done if we lost you." She sniffled a little, sighing. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't gotten the chance to tell you how I feel."

Feeling a lump in her throat, Hermione pushed her chair back and stood up. "I'm just going to get a drink, Freddie. I'll be back in a few minutes, I promise." She leaned down to gently kiss his forehead and turned on her heel, beginning to make her way out of the room.

She had just reached the door when she heard a small grunt behind her, followed by the faint rustling of sheets. Hermione whipped around and briskly walked back over to Fred's bed, gripping his hand tightly and watching as he stirred a little. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and Hermione smiled widely at him, a single tear running down her cheek.

"H'mione?" he murmured, blinking a few times and glancing around the room.

"Hi Fred," she said softly, sniffling a little and smiling widely. "Welcome back."

Fred hummed in response, still feeling rather weak and shifted his body a little, wincing when he felt the pain in his rib. "Where's George?"

"He's at the shop, he'll come back as soon as he's finished."

Fred nodded his head and sighed, weakly squeezing her hand then sucking in a breath as he felt a new wave of pain. "He's alright?"

"He's fine," Hermione responded, bringing her hand to softly stroke his forehead. "Your family are all fine."

Fred breathed a sigh of relief and turned his head to get a proper look at Hermione. She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept in days. "Have you even left this room, Hermione?" His tone was weak, but still held an edge of amusement that Hermione was pleased to hear.

"No," she admitted, laughing a little to herself. "I was more worried about you."

"I appreciate it." At his words, Hermione smiled and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly yet being careful not to crush his wounds.

"I'm so glad you're back."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, unfortunately. I just want Fred and Hermione to get together and make adorable little babies.**

It had been a week since Fred woke up and he was slowly getting back to his normal self. Cheeky comments were being made, jokes were being told and his infectious laughter would fill the room and contaminate everyone around him, causing tears of joy to spill down their cheeks. People were starting to feel better now that Fred was awake, and Hermione was pleased to see things were going back to the way they used to be.

On this particular day, Fred's only company were Hermione and George as the rest of the family had other things they needed to take care of. Fred had spent the morning complaining about how torturous it was, being stuck in hospital, and began thinking up ways to escape the boredom and migrate back to the flat he shared with his twin.

"It's no use," George murmured, much to Fred's displeasure. Although George loved getting into trouble and missed having Fred around at the flat, he knew his brother still had quite a bit of healing to do and Fred wasn't capable of mending his wounds himself. "Just wait it out, mate. You'll be out of here in a few weeks."

Fred groaned and stuck his tongue out at George before throwing himself back and landing on his pillow with a huff. "A few weeks is too long. I just want to get back to the shop." Slowly, he turned his head so he was looking at Hermione, who was sitting to his right and holding his hand in her own. Sticking out his bottom lip and pulling the best puppy-dog face he could muster, he let out a deep sigh and stared straight at Hermione. "Will you help me?"

Hermione managed a laugh, shaking her head a little at the expression on his face. "As utterly adorable as that is," she began, using her free hand to lightly pat his cheek. "I'm afraid I have to agree with George. You need to heal."

Fred sighed in defeat and rolled his head so he was looking straight at the ceiling, knowing the others were right. Although he was feeling a lot better than when he first woke up, he was still in quite a bit of pain and he wouldn't be able to bear it had he done a runner. "Fine," he muttered, chewing the inside of his lip out of boredom. "I'll just stay here. The wall may have come close to killing me, but my boredom will finish it off."

Hermione winced and George swallowed thickly as Fred mentioned the wall nearly killing him and an uncomfortable silence filled the room, George stared out of the window in silence as tears stung Hermione's eyes. Fred noticed Hermione first, her small sniffle giving away that he had upset her, and he gently squeezed her hand. "Hey," he murmured, brushing his thumb along the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, both of you. That was a stupid thing to say." He lifted his head a little, looking at his twin who was standing at the foot of his bed. Identical eyes met and Fred sent George an apologetic look, to which George nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Hermione, on the other hand, burst into a fit of sobs and threw her arms around Fred's shoulders, making Fred wince a little in pain due to the pressure on his sensitive skin. "Don't ever leave, Freddie," she gasped between sobs, causing Fred's heart to wrench and George to look away once again, blinking back hot tears that were forming in his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere," Fred said reassuringly, shifting a little to take some of the pressure off and slinging his good arm around her waist, holding her as she cried into him. "I promise, Hermione." As he comforted Hermione, Fred's eyes once again flicked across to George, who now had a small wet trail running from his eye down his cheek. The whole situation made Fred feel absolutely terrible, and he didn't even want to think about what would've happened if he'd really been killed the night of the battle.

"Come on, Hermione, that's enough," Fred said softly, using his thumb to brush away the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. "I'm fine, see? I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." At his words, Hermione detached her arms from around his shoulders and bit her lip, slowly nodding her head as her tears stopped and her breathing became steady. "That's better," Fred murmured, smiling weakly at her and taking hold of her hand, giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it once again.

"Now, you two should go and get yourselves something to eat," Fred said, looking over at George, who nodded his head in response. "The nurse is stopping by in a few minutes to check up on me and she prefers not having any extras in the room." George stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out some money, quickly counting it in his hand then looking to Hermione and nodding.

"Let's go," he said, beginning to walk out of the room. "It'll be my shout." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but George held his finger in the air, shaking his head and tapping his foot. "No buts." Hermione smiled appreciatively at George, who nodded at her with a smile of his own on her face, before she turned her attention back to Fred. "We'll be back soon," she said, quickly kissing his forehead and smiling as she followed George out of the room.

After ordering their meals, George and Hermione sat in the hospital cafeteria, sitting in silence for a few moments as they ate their meals. Taking a large bite of his sandwich, George looked over at Hermione and quirked a brow, noticing her smiling as she twirled some noodles around her fork. Swallowing his mouthful, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and cleared his throat, making Hermione look up from her plate and meet his gaze.

"What's the deal with you and my brother?" George asked casually, a small grin on his face. Hermione's cheeks warmed up a little and she bit on her lower lip, averting her gaze back down to her meal. It was obvious that Hermione had developed feelings for Fred, but she hadn't wanted to admit it to herself. She knew someone like Fred would never have feelings for someone like her; he was a prankster, and she was just a boring bookworm.

"Nothing," she said, smiling innocently and eating a forkful of spaghetti. As much as she had tried to make it seem as though she were telling the truth, Hermione could tell by the look on George's face that he knew she was lying.

"Codswallop," he said, laughing a little and having a sip of his butterbeer. "I've seen many birds trying to get their hands on Fred in my time, but not one of them showed as much care for him as you do." Setting his butterbeer down on the table, he rested his arms in front of him, leaning across the table and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Telling me you don't have feelings for Fred is like telling me Fred and I aren't twins – a load of bullshit."

Hermione sighed, completely aware that George was right. She nodded her head slowly, taking a large sip of her own butterbeer and swallowing it thickly, her eyes flicking up to meet George's. At Hermione's silent confession, George smirked, laughing a little in satisfaction. "Tell him," he whispered before finishing off his food and standing up, waiting for Hermione to do the same. When she did, the two of them made their way back to Fred's ward in silence as Hermione pondered over different ways to tell Fred how she felt.

The nurse had just been finishing up with Fred when George and Hermione entered the room, and when Hermione got a glimpse of Fred's bare torso her cheeks turned scarlet read and she bit her lip, her eyes flicking around the room and landing anywhere but on Fred's. Pulling his shirt on, Fred laughed a little at Hermione's obvious embarrassment and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it and sit beside his bed.

The three spent the next few minutes talking and laughing, but after a moment, George mentioned needing to return to work and left the two of them alone, and as Hermione watched him leave, she didn't miss the wink he sent her way. Blushing furiously, she laughed a little nervously before turning back to Fred, squeezing his hand as she gathered up her courage. She was about to let it all out, to open up to Fred and tell him how she felt, but was interrupted by a small voice coming from the doorway.

"Hello, Freddie." Heads turned in the direction of the voice and the moment Hermione realized who had spoken, her stomach dropped. It was her; the girl who had dated Fred back in his sixth year, the girl who he'd stayed with throughout the rest of his time at Hogwarts, the girl he had fallen in love with... the girl Hermione suddenly felt extremely jealous of.

"Hi, Katie," Fred said, releasing Hermione's hand as a small smile spread across his face.

**A/N: I'm so sorry it takes me so long to update! I'm tied up with school and whatnot at the moment, so that's why. Not to mention I'm terrible at sticking with projects! I hope you all enjoyed and I know I got into the whole 'feelings' thing a bit soon, but oh well.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, so there's not a lot of Fred/Hermione in this chapter, but I promise you there will be in the next chapter! I just wanted to get the Katie drama over with (for now, there may be some in the future).**

Hermione was crushed.

Katie Bell was everything that Fred seemed to love in a girl – funny, athletic, popular, beautiful, everything Hermione wasn't. Hermione was plain and ordinary; how could Fred take an interest in her when she had nothing exciting to offer?

She decided not to think too much of it for the meantime; after all, Fred and Katie had broken up at the end of their seventh year. Hermione didn't know what had caused the couple who were so madly in love with each other to break up, she hadn't been particularly close to either of them at the time, so she really wasn't interested. Now, she was, but it wasn't something she could just come out and ask them.

Katie slowly stepped into the room and Hermione sucked in a deep breath, her eyes glued to Fred who was looking at Katie with a large grin on his face.

"It's good to see you're awake," Katie said once she'd approached Fred, leaning over him to give him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Hermione pursed her lips and fixed her gaze on the ground, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. As much as she didn't want to leave Fred, she couldn't stand around and watch Fred and Katie together.

Hermione picked up her bag and coat in silence, ignoring the way Katie sat on the edge of Fred's bed and tenderly held his hand while looking at him affectionately. Standing upright, Hermione managed a small smile at Fred and mouthed 'I'll be back later' before turning on her heel and beginning to walk out of the room without another sound.

As she reached the door, she turned around to get one final glimpse at the pair and expected to see them in each others' arms, only to find Fred staring back at her, his lips pursed and his expression holding a hint of sadness as he watched her walk away.

Hermione had only made it half way down the corridor when she heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind her, followed by a soft voice calling out her name. Slowly turning in the direction of the voice, Hermione spotted Katie walking briskly up to her and stopped in her tracks, waiting for the older girl to reach her.

"Er, hi," Katie said, smiling sweetly at Hermione. Hermione had always thought Katie was quite a kind girl, and the two had gotten along just fine back at Hogwarts, despite the fact that they didn't hang out with each other very often due to Katie being preoccupied with Quidditch and Hermione being fully focused on her schoolwork.

Dating Fred was no reason for Hermione to dislike Katie, especially since it had been in the past and Hermione wasn't close with Fred at the time, but she couldn't help but feel a little envious of the other girl. Although, she did her best to hide it and managed a small smile, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and folding her arms in front of her chest. "Hi, Katie. I hope you're doing well?"

Katie nodded her head at Hermione's question, staying silent for a moment as she averted her gaze to the ground. Hermione cocked her head to the side a little and examined the girl in front of her, finally letting her mind wonder why Katie had pulled herself away from Fred and chased after her in the first place. From what Hermione saw, Katie was loving spending time with Fred and didn't look as though she would be leaving anytime soon, yet here she was.

"How are you coping, with all of this?" Katie asked, finally lifting her head and looking at Hermione. "I mean, I heard you've rarely left Fred's side and you were pretty distraught when you found out what happened." Hermione swallowed thickly, not liking where this conversation was going. Every word Katie had said was true, and now that she thought about it, Hermione knew just how obvious it was that she had feelings for Fred. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, to deny having a crush on him, but was cut off by Katie waving her hand dismissively, smiling at the younger girl once again.

"I'm not mad, Hermione." At these words, Hermione widened her eyes slightly and shook her head, trying to act as if she had no idea what Katie was talking about. In response, Katie just laughed a little before bowing her head and closing her eyes for a few moments. When she looked up once again, Hermione's heart clenched as she noticed the tears forming in Katie's eyes.

"Fred's moved on, it's about time I do the same." Katie said with a shrug, before managing a small laugh and shaking her head, blinking away her tears. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. That isn't my intention at all, I just..." Katie trailed off, shaking her head once again and dismissing whatever she was about to say. Hermione remained silent, her lips pursed and her brows knitted as she waited for Katie to continue speaking.

"I care about Fred's happiness so much, you know?" The older girl said, sniffling a little as she looked at Hermione with a soft expression. "I saw the way he looked at you when you walked away. I think you'll really make him happy, Hermione." Hermione hadn't expected the conversation to turn out the way it had; she had expected a few threatening words from Katie and a speech about staying away from her man, but Katie was so sincere with what she was saying, it was making Hermione's own eyes water.

"That's why I'm not going to stand in the way." The next thing Hermione knew, Katie was throwing her arms around her and hugging her tight, making Hermione gasp at the sudden contact. "Be good to him, Hermione. He's a great guy, he really is." Hermione was a little surprised with Katie's words; Hermione hadn't even admitted her feelings to Fred yet, let alone started dating him. She didn't even know if Fred returned her feelings, but she decided not to argue about it and simply returned Katie's hug.

The moment Katie pulled away and stepped back a little, Hermione nodded her head, smiling softly at the girl in front of her. "I will, I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been so long since I've updated, and I'm so sorry about that! I was stuck with what to write in this chapter, but I'm pretty pleased with what I've managed to whip up. I hope you enjoy it!**

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It had been two weeks since Hermione's encounter with Katie, and the older girl who had been so nice about their situation hadn't stopped by St Mungo's since. Although Hermione felt a _pang of guilt sit in the pit of her stomach_about it, as if she had pushed Katie away from Fred because she had developed feelings for him, she was pleased to have the opportunity to spend so much quality time with the boy she only saw as a prankster back at Hogwarts.

With the amount of laughter and joy that filled Fred's once gloomy and dull room, his time in the hospital seemed to have flown by—just that morning, he had received notice from one of the mediwitches, informing him that he was free to leave that afternoon. This news brought smiles to all those sitting in the room, and George was quick to get started on packing Fred's belongings.

When the clock struck one in the afternoon, Hermione excused herself from Fred's room and exited the hospital, making a quick trip to the market to pick up some supplies so she could prepare a meal once they had arrived back at his flat. She hadn't picked up anything special—just a packet of spaghetti noodles, a platter of mince and a jar of pasta sauce, everything she would need to prepare Spaghetti Bolognese for herself and the twins.

After purchasing her supplies, she briskly walked back to St Mungo's, placing the items of food into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Hermione was glad Fred was finally being released today—it was becoming obvious how bored he was getting, despite having company nearly every minute of the day. What Fred needed was to get up, get out of bed, breathe and inhale the fresh air surrounding the outdoors, but most importantly, he needed to get back to the place he felt most comfortable—home.

Upon reaching Fred's room, Hermione tapped lightly on the door and poked her head inside, a soft smile gracing her features when she spotted Fred sitting at the foot of his bed. Looking around, she noticed George had disappeared – she assumed he'd either gone back to work, or had already apparated away to drop Fred's stuff off. She stepped into the room and joined him on the bed, sitting beside him and beaming proudly at him. He had come so far—only a month ago, Fred had been lying unconscious in the bed they were currently sitting on, with deep, open wounds scattered along one half of his body. Now, here he was, almost right as rain. Though he was still experiencing pain in his shoulder from time to time, it was certainly a much better result than everyone had originally thought.

"Are you ready to go?" Hermione asked, rising to her feet and offering a hand to pull him to his feet. Nodding his head, Fred slowly allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, his legs wobbling slightly and causing him to stagger forward. Hermione pressed her free hand against his good shoulder, supporting him so he wouldn't fall forward any further.

"Thanks," Fred murmured, righting himself and exhaling slowly, a grin tugging at his lips. "It's been a while since I've used these legs."

Hermione laughed, dismissively waving the hand she had on his shoulder as she closed her eyes, picturing the twins' flat, a place she had only visited only once or twice before. "You're going home now," she whispered, a smile lighting her face as she squeezed Fred's hand and disapparated.

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The two landed in the middle of the flat, and when Hermione opened her eyes, she noticed the place was just as messy as it had been the last time she visited. "Oh, honestly, Fred! You and George really need to keep this place looking a bit nicer!" She kicked away a jumper that lay in a ball at her feet and dropped Fred's hand, turning herself towards him and folding her arms.

"Blame that on George," Fred said, a small burst of laughter erupting from him as he examined his home—where he hadn't been for what felt like a lifetime. Sending Hermione a smile, he turned on his heel and began slowly walking down the hallway, in the direction of his bedroom, which was situated right at the end. He reluctantly turned the handle and pushed open the door, stepping inside with what Hermione thought to be some sense of caution, and approaching the dresser sitting against the wall opposite his large king-size bed.

Without a word, Hermione followed him into the room and sat at the foot of his bed, cocking her head to the side as she curiously examined Fred's actions. He was brushing his finger along the dark wood, gathering particles of dust and examining it, shaking his head at it before rubbing his thumb and forefinger together and knitting his brows, his eyes fixed on the floor as he exhaled deeply.

"For a while, I thought I was never going to see this place again." Hermione's eyebrows shot up at Fred's whispered words, her eyes widening in worry, and she opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Fred raising his hand, in an effort to keep her from speaking. "No—please, let me continue."

Reluctantly, Hermione closed her mouth and nodded, folding her hands in her lap and fixing her eyes on Fred, examining him closely. She watched as he crossed the room, approaching the bed she was sitting on, her eyes following him as he sat beside her and turned his body towards hers. His face was serious—more serious than Hermione had ever seen it, more serious than she had seen _him_, and she knew the conversation coming would be deep. Shifting a little, Hermione got herself comfortable and held Fred's gaze, giving him a small nod to encourage him to continue speaking.

"I didn't think I'd heal properly—I thought, because the wall hit me so hard, I wouldn't be able to function properly anymore. I honestly thought that one day, while I was in that hospital, I would drop off to sleep and never wake up." This comment triggered a small gasp from Hermione, and she instantly moved her hand and placed it on top of his own, which was resting behind him, holding his weight. "Fred—"

"Do you know what kept me going?" Fred asked, cutting her off and staring deeply at her, his eyes boring into hers. "What kept me positive? What helped me to keep my mind away from such negative thoughts, and what—better yet, who—really helped me to pull through?"

Silence filled the room the moment Fred had stopped talking, and Hermione's eyes flickered down to the pair's hands, where she noticed she had been subconsciously stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. The answer to Fred's question was obvious—the way he was staring at her, as if he was looking deep inside her, looking into her soul he confessed the way he had felt whilst at the hospital was a giveaway, and Hermione felt a flutter of butterflies in the pit of her stomach when her gaze returned to his. Exhaling deeply, she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and slowly nodded her head, her eyes not once leaving Fred's. "M-Me?"

"You." Fred confirmed, as he pulled his hand from under Hermione's and lightly cupped her cheek. "You kept me sane, in a sense." Small smiles tugged the lips of the two at this comment, and Fred removed his hand from her cheek, only to wrap both his arms around her and pull her into a hug. Hermione's own arms flung around him and she rested her head on his shoulder, much enjoying the sweet, affectionate side of Fred—a side she certainly hoped she'd see more of.

"Thank you, Hermione," he whispered, tilting his head to the side and kissing her temple—a gesture Hermione hadn't been expecting, and she found herself blushing furiously, despite it being such a simple act.

"You're welcome," she replied, a look of adoration filling her face as she smiled at him and released herself from the hug. Reluctantly, she rose to her feet and backed towards the door, her eyes holding his. "I'm going to make us a quick meal, I'll be back in twenty minutes or so."

Fred nodded his head and watched Hermione turn around and walk out of the room, unable to hide the cheesy grin that lifted his lips. Kicking off his shoes, he crawled up his bed and lay himself down, his head resting on his pillow as he shut his eyes and recalled the events of the last few weeks.

He'd had no idea he would ever find himself developing such strong feelings for one Miss Hermione Granger.


	5. Chapter 5

In the kitchen of the twins' flat, Hermione stood in front of the stove, staring into the pot of mince as she stirred in the pasta sauce, the soft smile on her face screaming out the emotions she felt inside.

She was happy. Fred had appreciated her company more than she realized, and although she wasn't fond of the negative thoughts that had gone through his mind, she was pleased she had made him feel better.

The affectionate moment that took place in Fred's bedroom ten minutes ago only strengthened what Hermione felt for him—never before had she seen the soft side of Fred, and it was a side she hoped to see again and again. Fred Weasley was making it hard not to fall for him.

After checking on the pasta and noting it was cooked, Hermione picked up a pair of tongs from the drawer and scooped decent sized portions of spaghetti onto three plates—although she wasn't quite sure where George had gone, she decided to dish him up a plate, anyway—after all, those boys were known to have that famous Weasley appetite.

She scooped a bit of mince and poured it on top of the spaghetti, sprinkling on a small amount of grated cheese and admiring her cooking—she didn't get the opportunity to cook often, as she was living at The Burrow, and Mrs Weasley insisted on preparing meals herself, so Hermione was rather proud of herself for successfully cooking a meal, despite it being something simple.

Taking Fred's plate in her hands, Hermione made her way back down the hall into Fred's room, and opened her mouth to announce his meal was ready, but stopped herself when she looked at Fred— his eyes were shut, and a look of peace and serenity washed over his face, his chest was rising and falling evenly, and the only sound in the room was that of his long, deep breaths. With a smile on her face, Hermione walked around to the side of the bed, being careful not to make too much sound, and placed the plate of spaghetti on the nightstand.

"Fred," she whispered, curling her fingers around his unharmed shoulder and giving him a gentle shake. It took a few moments for Fred to begin stirring—Hermione hadn't realized he'd fallen into such a deep sleep, and was surprised he'd managed to do so in such a short period of time—and when he slowly opened his eyes, Hermione could see the exhaustion and confusion within them.

"Sorry to wake you," Hermione whispered, wearing a raw, distant smile to mask the guilt that had swept over her. He'd looked so peaceful, so relaxed, and Hermione knew it had been a challenge for him to get to sleep at the hospital, but her worry faltered when Fred sat upright, leaning against the headboard and dismissively waving a hand.

"It's fine," he said, his voice croaky from disuse as he brought a hand to rub his eyes, and Hermione allowed him a few moments to fully wake up before speaking once again.

"I just wanted to let you know your food is ready." She nodded her head towards the nightstand, gesturing at the plate of spaghetti.

"Thank you," Fred said with an appreciative smile, looking at the plate and inhaling the scent that filled the room. Sending a smile in return, Hermione idly brushed his hair out of his face and stepped back, turning towards the door and preparing to leave.

"I'll let you eat in peace."

"No—" Fred quickly said, cutting her off and reaching out for her hand, stopping her from leaving and pulling her onto the bed with him. "Stay."

Nodding her head, Hermione allowed herself to get comfortable beside him, the two sitting side by side as their eyes bore into one another. She noted a certain look in Fred's eyes, and it was becoming rather common when he looked at her—he was staring at her with a look of adoration, which Hermione returned, surprisingly not feeling nervous about the eye contact. Silence filled the room, though it caused no discomfort—the two were perfectly content just sitting there and examining each other, reading their emotions and pondering over feelings for one another.

Fred was the first to move—though he knew he had only been close with Hermione for a short while, it felt as though they had been friends forever. With this thought in his mind, he shifted closer to Hermione and brushed a stray curl behind her ear, and, without a word, he slowly leaned forward, his face getting nearer to hers, a smile forming as he heard her breath hitch in her throat, but quickly fading as his lips met hers after what felt like far too long.

Hermione was a little shocked when she watched him inching closer to her—although she knew his intentions, it still came as a surprise when his lips lightly pressed against hers. She froze for a few moments, her mind buzzing as she tried to take in what was happening, before returning the kiss with a content sigh.

The kiss was slow and tender, but Hermione hadn't expected any different. He'd been so sweet, so affectionate over the past hour, it hadn't come as a surprise when she felt the speed of his lips, them moving softly against her own. Hermione only hoped she was doing it right—she didn't have a lot of experience with the opposite sex. She had shared a kiss with Viktor Krum at the Yule Ball in her fourth year, and even Roger Davies during a study session in her fifth year, but neither of them had felt like this. Kissing Fred, she could feel the emotion behind it, feel how much he adored and cared for her, and she hoped Fred was feeling what she was.

They continued for a few more moments before pulling apart, and for a second or two, Hermione remained still, her eyes closed and lips parted as she relished in the tingling feeling she was experiencing through her body. Her eyes opened, and she immediately met Fred's gaze, a smile gracing her features as she looked deeply into his soft brown eyes.

"That was nice," she whispered, rubbing her nose against his with a goofy grin. Fred chuckled lowly under his breath and circled an arm around her waist, holding her in place, preventing her from getting up and leaving him.

"It was. Do you mind if we do that again?"

Hermione giggled at the cheek in Fred's voice, and rather than answering his question verbally, she pressed her lips to his, bringing a hand to cup his cheek as their lips moved slowly together in a tender, passionate kiss. They continued for a few moments, enjoying the foreign feel of each other's lips, both perfectly content in the moment—until they heard someone clearing their throat in the doorway.

"Well, look what we have here." Hearing the voice from the doorway startled Hermione, and with a gasp, her lips fell from Fred's, her head turning to the source of the voice. There stood George, leaning against the doorframe, a smug grin on his face as he stared at the two, clearly amused by what he'd walked in on. "It seems I've interrupted something."

When Hermione turned to look at Fred, she noticed his expression was completely calm—in fact, he was more focused on examining his brother. George's shaggy hair was messier than usual, his lips bright red and swollen, and a general air of exhaustion in him.

"Forget Hermione and I—what have _you_ been up to?" Fred asked, his voice holding a teasing edge as he wagged his eyebrows. George's eyes widened in the slightest, and he subconsciously wiped his hand across his swollen lips, swallowing a thick lump that formed in his throat before laughing nervously.

"Oh—nothing, of course. I've been working," he said quickly, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as his eyes flicked between Fred and Hermione—his mouth hanging open and closing tight again as he turned on his heel, rapidly leaving the room, muttering a fast "I'll leave you to it" as he did.

"That was weird," Hermione murmured, her head cocked to the side as she stared at the now empty doorframe.

"Yes, it was. I wonder who he was with." Fred shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the thought—clearly, more focused on Hermione than whoever it was George had been spending his free time with. "Now, Hermione—can I ask you something?"

With a small smile, Hermione nodded her head, eager to hear what he had to say after the events of their day. "Yes."

"May I call you mine?"

Hermione's small smile turned into a large beam that she couldn't seem to hide—she hadn't expected things to happen so quickly with Fred. Just yesterday, he was still stuck in the hospital, and the two were friends, the only kisses exchanged being those on the forehead or cheek. Presently, they sat together, cuddled on Fred's bed, after sharing two _real_ kisses, with Fred now asking her to be his girlfriend. Without a further thought, Hermione nodded her head, pressing one final kiss to his lips before blurting out her response.

"Yes."

**A/N: I'm trying to speed things up, because I have a drama planned for this story and I'm so excited about it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I hope to update soon!**


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